Sean Hannity, the Fox News host, spurred significant discussion this week with commentary revealing a rare divergence from conservative media’s staunch support for President Trump’s immigration enforcement, even as his TV program maintained its offensive against Democrats’ anti-ICE sentiments.
Hannity, during his radio show on January 26, criticized the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics. He particularly took issue with workplace raids. “Is ICE perfect? They’re not,” Hannity stated on The Sean Hannity Show. “Do I think that going into Home Depots and arresting people there is a good idea? I don’t.”
This was a marked departure for Hannity, who has consistently brushed off concerns about ICE overreach over the years. His comments arrived amidst escalating tensions in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in January. ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on January 24, while Renee Good, 37, a mother, was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7.
On January 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had opened a federal civil rights investigation into the Pretti shooting. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the department would examine “everything that would shed light on what happened that day and in the days and weeks leading up to what happened.” The investigation is separate from the Department of Homeland Security’s internal review of the incident.
Conversely, Hannity, in a late January night television program, targeted Democratic officials escalating their criticism of ICE operations. He aimed particularly at Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
He accused Democratic leaders of betraying core American values, as threats against ICE agents have increased. His comments touched on the contentious issue of sanctuary cities, where local officials resist cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
Senator Lindsey Graham made an appearance on Hannity’s program on Jan. 27 evening, reinforcing the message. He offered a grim appraisal of sanctuary policies, stating, “You can never have law and order with sanctuary city policies.” He announced he is working with President Trump on legislation to abolish these policies nationwide.
The segment also brought up newly surfaced video footage showing Alex Pretti in an altercation with federal agents 11 days before his fatal shooting. The video, dated January 13, shows Pretti yelling at federal agents, spitting toward their vehicle, and kicking out a taillight before being tackled to the ground by officers. The administration has used this footage to portray Pretti as hostile towards law enforcement.
The coverage underscored the Democratic rhetoric that conservatives blame for inciting violence against federal agents. On May 17, 2025, Governor Walz received severe criticism when he referred to ICE as “Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo” during a University of Minnesota Law School graduation speech. The Department of Homeland Security retorted that such rhetoric contributed to a significant increase in assaults against ICE officers.
Even some Democrats have started to distance themselves from the most heated language. Senator John Fetterman has publicly denounced Nazi comparisons, asserting that such rhetoric can provoke violence.
Mayor Frey, speaking at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., called for an end to what he termed ICE’s “unlawful tactics.”
In the meantime, remarks from Hannity’s radio show, including a proposal for a voluntary deportation program offering $2,000 payments to self-reporting immigrants, caught the attention of MSNBC host Joe Scarborough. He noted his surprise at Hannity’s call for “a more responsible, reasonable way” to manage deportations, observing that the administration “didn’t start here.”
The mixed message from Hannity mirrors the complex political climate. Pretti’s death has brought together unlikely critics, with some Republicans advocating for more thorough investigations and gun-rights advocates questioning why a legal gun owner was shot by federal agents.
Hannity’s radio show is syndicated on over 675 radio stations, while his TV program airs on Fox News.
The debate shows no signs of calming down amid ongoing negotiations over DHS funding. Senate Democrats have demanded reforms including body cameras for agents, while Republicans warn that blocking funding could cause a government shutdown. On January 30, Senator Lindsey Graham lifted his hold on a funding package after securing a vote commitment on his sanctuary cities legislation.
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a makeshift memorial for Alex Pretti has grown at the site where he was shot, with thousands attending candlelight vigils across the Twin Cities region. Protests continue in the city following the shootings. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who had drawn widespread criticism for his handling of the operation, was relieved of his command and departed Minneapolis along with other agents, according to reports from late January.